Under the Research an Investigation Division, ARI is conducting road safety research and investigation, which are useful in documenting the accident problem characteristics and provide the means to develop and evaluate effective countermeasures.

Some major areas of research and investigation include:

1. Accident Database Development and Management:

For Road Accident: ARI with its own efforts is collecting Accident Report Forms (ARFs) from six metropolitan offices and seven ranges of Bangladesh Police regularly and is maintaining a Microcomputer Accident Analysis Package (MAAP) based database from 1998- 2014 which is substantially important for ARIâ€™s research, training and national road traffic accident statistics. In addition, ARI has also prepared and updated MAAP Manual for Police Department, updated chainage inventory i.e. KM post wise location and updated Accident Report Form (ARF).

For Waterway Accident: ARI has developed and maintained a Microsoft Access database program to store maritime accident data using various sources such as the national daily newspapers, reports of Department of Shipping (DOS) in order to understand characteristics and magnitude of this adverse problem as well as to conduct scientific research.

For Railway Accident: ARI maintains news paper based railway accident database. Recently ARI has taken initiative to identify the most hazardous level-crossing based on the MAAP5 and newspaper data analysis.

2. Development of Road Safety Manual

Rural Road Safety Manual (RRSM) and Road Safety Training Manual (RSTM): ARI is currently involved in developing Rural Road Safety Manual (RRSM) targeted for ensuring and integrating safety in planning, design and maintenance process in LGED road under the second Rural Transport Improvement Project (RTIP-II) of LGED financed by the World Bank. ARI is also preparing a Road Safety Training Manual (RSTM) for LGED engineers under the same project.

4. Safe Driving Manual: ARI has published Safe Driving Manual, the first ever safety manual in Bengali for driving instructors.

5. Other Safety Manual:
ARI has prepared and published Road Safety Booklets for Drivers.

ARI has prepared Road Safety Booklets for School Children.

6. Identification and Treatment of Hazardous Road Locations (HRL):

ARI has published list of most accident prone areas known as HRL or Black spot. On the basis of the list of HRL and safety measures provided by ARI, GoB has taken initiatives for implementing those measures and a proposal and budget to treat the 152 HRL by engineering way has also been passed in the ECNEC.